Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Scranton, PA and Bansko

For one person, living is cheaper in Bansko: $956 a month against $2,109 in Scranton, PA, rent and utilities included – about $13,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

103

Cost of Living Index in Scranton, PA
Learn more

Scranton, PA Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Bansko
Learn more

Bansko Living Index

Jump to prices

Scranton, PA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,109

/mo nomad

Bansko

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$956

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Scranton, PA and in Bansko

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Scranton, PA and in Bansko actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,109 per month in Scranton, PA vs $956 in Bansko, rent included.

Scranton, PA $2,109
Bansko $956

A couple spends around $3,000 per month in Scranton, PA vs $1,467 in Bansko, rent included.

Scranton, PA $3,000
Bansko $1,467

A family of three spends $3,891 per month in Scranton, PA vs $1,979 in Bansko, rent included.

Scranton, PA $3,891
Bansko $1,979

Scranton, PA costs about 121% more than Bansko, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Scranton, PA sits 56% above the global median, while Bansko is 29% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.08 $12.08

$8.66 BGN 15.06

39.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.1 $77.1

$44.94 BGN 78.2

71.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.96 $5.96

$8.78 BGN 15.28

-32.12%

Cappuccino

$4.48 $4.48

$2.33 BGN 4.05

92.27%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.57 BGN 2.74

-2.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 $0.99

$0.82 BGN 1.43

20.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.93 $6.93

$1.68 BGN 2.92

312.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.66 $7.66

$1.98 BGN 3.45

286.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.73 $0.73

$1.73 BGN 3.00

-57.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 $1.46

$0.80 BGN 1.40

82.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.44 BGN 2.51

54.17%

Eggs

$3.34 $3.34

$2.36 BGN 4.10

41.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.12 $11.12

$9.39 BGN 16.34

18.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.81 $8.81

$6.41 BGN 11.15

37.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.18 $11.18

$8.48 BGN 14.76

31.84%

Apples (1kg)

$3.61 $3.61

$1.31 BGN 2.28

175.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 $1.31

$1.62 BGN 2.82

-19.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.32 $3.32

$1.73 BGN 3.01

91.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.26 $4.26

$1.94 BGN 3.38

119.59%

Potato (1kg)

$2.90 $2.90

$0.94 BGN 1.63

208.51%

Onion (1kg)

$3.32 $3.32

$0.76 BGN 1.32

336.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.94 $1.94

$0.55 BGN 0.95

252.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 $1.01

$0.59 BGN 1.02

71.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.59 $6.59

$3.25 BGN 5.66

102.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.19 $12.19

$5.20 BGN 9.05

134.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.04 $3.04

$1.09 BGN 1.89

178.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.79 $4.79

$1.68 BGN 2.92

185.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.73 $1.73

$0.84 BGN 1.45

105.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.1 $61.1

$27.06 BGN 47.09

125.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.16 $3.16

$1.34 BGN 2.34

135.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.00 $2.00

$0.65 BGN 1.14

207.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$10.06 BGN 17.51

148.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.48 BGN 2.57

-25.00%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$35.3K $35.3K

$29.1K BGN 50.7K

21.27%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$25.7K $25.7K

$20.9K BGN 36.4K

22.84%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$232 $232

$92.4 BGN 161

150.85%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$40.27 $40.27

$14.52 BGN 25.26

177.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.27 $49.27

$12.32 BGN 21.43

299.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.52 $29.52

$31.70 BGN 55.2

-6.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.03 $16.03

$8.53 BGN 14.84

87.92%

Cinema Ticket

$12.53 $12.53

$5.62 BGN 9.78

122.95%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$770 $770

$230 BGN 401

234.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K $17.6K

$2,268 BGN 3,947

676.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.23 $45.23

$30.10 BGN 52.4

50.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.25 $30.25

$19.62 BGN 34.13

54.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.9 $72.9

$45.86 BGN 79.8

58.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.9 $82.9

$47.69 BGN 83.0

73.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,269 $1,269

$518 BGN 902

144.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,019 $1,019

$357 BGN 621

185.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,554 $1,554

$614 BGN 1,069

153.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,481 $1,481

$569 BGN 990

160.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,594 $1,594

$1,191 BGN 2,073

33.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,538 $1,538

$959 BGN 1,669

60.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,361 $3,361

$1,704 BGN 2,965

97.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

2.99

123.08%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Scranton, PA: October 10, 2026

Last update for Bansko: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Scranton, PA

$1K 48.3%

Bansko

$357 37.3% 65% $662

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Scranton, PA

$321 15.2%

Bansko

$119 12.5% 62.9% $202

Groceries & Markets

Scranton, PA

$300 14.2%

Bansko

$192 20.1% 36% $108

Eating Out

Scranton, PA

$228 10.8%

Bansko

$145 15.2% 36.3% $83

Clothing & Footwear

Scranton, PA

$104 4.9%

Bansko

$64 6.7% 38.1% $40

Getting Around

Scranton, PA

$81 3.9%

Bansko

$35 3.7% 56.8% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Scranton, PA

$55 2.6%

Bansko

$43 4.5% 21.3% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,269 in Scranton, PA versus $518 in Bansko. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 97% higher in Scranton, PA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $77.0 in Scranton, PA versus $45.00 in Bansko. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $300 vs $192 – making Bansko the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Scranton, PA

🇧🇬 Bansko

🕒 Local time

18:04 6:04 PM

01:04 1:04 AM

7 h ahead of Scranton, PA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

72,861

8,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇧🇬 Bulgarian Lev (лв.)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

BGN to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Scranton, PA Bansko 7,710 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Scranton, PA
Bansko

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Scranton, PA vs Bansko: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,109 in Scranton, PA, $956 in Bansko – roughly 121% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,163 per month in Scranton, PA and $1,434 in Bansko. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bansko, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $77.0 in Scranton, PA and $45.00 in Bansko. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,109 in Scranton, PA and $956 in Bansko. That's a gap of about 121%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Bansko, where all-in costs run around $956, than in Scranton, PA at $2,109. In Bansko it covers expenses comfortably, while in Scranton, PA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Bansko has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $956 in Bansko to $2,109 in Scranton, PA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Bansko. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Scranton, PA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.